Afghanistan: Taliban promises amnesty; no formal handover yet

The Taliban declared an ldquoamnestyrdquo across Afghanistan and urged women to join their government on Tuesday seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed Following a blitz across Afghanistan that saw many cities fall to the insurgents the Taliban have sought to portray themselves as more moderate than when they imposed a brutal rule in the late 1990s But many Afghans remain skepticalOlder generations remember the Talibanrsquos ultraconservative Islamic views which included severe restrictions on women as well as stonings amputations and public executions before they were ousted by the USled invasion that followed the September 11 2001 terror attacksHundreds gather outside the international airport in Kabul Afghanistan on TuesdayWhile there were no major reports of abuses or fighting in the capital of Kabul as the Taliban now patrol its streets many residents have stayed home and remain fearful after the insurgentsrsquo takeover saw prisons emptied and armories looted Many women have expressed dread that the twodecade Western experiment to expand their rights and remake Afghanistan would not survive the resurgent TalibanVague remarksThe promises of amnesty from Enamullah Samangani a member of the Talibanrsquos cultural commission were the first comments on how the Taliban might govern on a national level His remarks remained vague however as the Taliban are still negotiating with political leaders of the countryrsquos fallen government and no formal handover deal has been announcedAfghan people sit outside the French embassy in Kabul on Tuesday waiting to leave Afghanistan PicAFPldquoThe Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan with full dignity and honesty has announced a complete amnesty for all Afghanistan especially those who were with the opposition or supported the occupiers for years and recentlyrdquo he saidOther Taliban leaders have said they wonrsquot seek revenge on those who worked with the Afghan government or foreign countries But some in Kabul allege Taliban fighters have lists of people who cooperated with the government and are seeking them outSamangani also described women as ldquothe main victims of the more than 40 years of crisis in Afghanistanrdquo ldquoThe Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan doesnrsquot want the women to be the victims anymorerdquo he saidIndians sit aboard a military aircraft at the airport in Kabul on Tuesday waiting to be evacuated PicAFPUK to increase aid to Afghan by 1037British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says the government plans to increase humanitarian aid to Afghanistan ldquoprobably by 1037rdquo Raab said the aid budget will be reconfigured for development and humanitarian purposes in Afghanistan and that the Taliban will not get any of the money previously earmarked for security ldquoI donrsquot think we will condition the humanitarian relief we provide to ordinary Afghans on what the Taliban doesrdquo he saidIndia brings back embassy staff from AfghanIndia on Tuesday brought back home the Indian ambassador and its staff at the embassy in Kabul in a heavylift military transport aircraft in view of the deteriorating security situation in the Afghan capital two days after its takeover by the Taliban people familiar with the development said The C17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force IAF landed at Jamnagar in Gujarat at around 1115 am en route to the Hindon airbase near the national capital they saidlsquoAfghan should not be a haven for terroristsrsquoHours after expressing hope that the Taliban will form an ldquoopen and inclusiverdquo Islamic government and ensure a smooth transition in Afghanistan China has warned the Afghan militant group against the country once again becoming a ldquohavenrdquo for terrorists The remarks by Chinarsquos deputy permanent representative to the UN Geng Shuang came during an emergency meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan on Monday after the sudden and rapid takeover of the Afghanistan government by the Taliban insurgentsIndia to issue emergency evisasIndia on Tuesday announced that it will issue an emergency evisa to Afghan nationals who want to come to the country in view of the prevailing situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban captured power there All Afghans irrespective of their religion can apply for the lsquoeEmergency XMisc Visarsquo online and the applications will be processed in New Delhi The announcement came two days after the Taliban captured power in Afghanistan1037Increase in amount of aid UK govt plans for AfghanistanThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever